Channel swimming a no-go

Jan 2, 2023

Take care: Goulburn-Murray Water says people should not swim in channels.

Goulburn-Murray Water is urging people not to swim in channels due to the safety hazards they contain.

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G-MW Water Delivery Services general manager Warren Blyth said it was vital people understood the risks of swimming in channels.

“While channels might seem like appealing places to swim, particularly during the warmer weather, numerous hazards can lie beneath the surface,” he said.

“Debris, pipes, drains, strong undercurrents and submerged trees and rocks can all pose potentially significant threats to anyone who enters our channels.”

G-MW manages more than 10,000km of channels in its delivery network. The channels are designed to deliver water to customers and are not designed for recreational purposes.

In the past, water flows in channels were largely controlled by the manual removal of bars from gates within the channels. Many of these manual gates have now been replaced by regulators, which can be operated remotely.

“Regulators are operated automatically and can change the flow or depth of a channel quickly,” Mr Blyth said.

“Regulator gates do not need to be opened or closed manually, and can therefore also potentially trap people who are swimming near them.

“The only way to ensure there are no incidents in our channels is for no-one to swim in our channels. We ask everyone to do the right thing and stay safe.”

More information on the dangers of swimming in channels can be found at www.g-mwater.com.au/recreation-tourism/dont-swim-in-channels